hold off (on)

as in to postpone
to assign to a later time we held off on accepting the invitation in the hopes that something better would come along

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hold off (on)
Verb
  • Hartford Courant Central opener postponed: Thursday’s games in the NEC tournament in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. were postponed due to rain.
    Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 22 May 2025
  • Clean up habitat down by the L.A. River Volunteers are needed from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve for Friends of the L.A. River’s habitat restoration day and Earth Month celebration, postponed because of rain last month.
    Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • At least three lawsuits have been filed against the company for delaying the features and circulating misleading iPhone 16 ads regarding Apple Intelligence.
    Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 26 May 2025
  • Newark’s airport was again plagued by delays over Memorial Day weekend, with more than 150 flights in and 230 flights out delayed on Saturday, according to flight-tracking data.
    Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • Commissioners deferred the vote on the plan to June 9 over landscaping concerns.
    Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 16 May 2025
  • And when Ohtani became a free agent, Moreno could have said yes to the same terms the Dodgers did — 10 years, $700 million, with all but $20 million deferred.
    Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • Strowman, 41, had become the still-fierce giant whose primary job was to put over strong up-and-comers like Fatu and Bronson Reed before him.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
  • And that live-action look included Forest Whitaker sporting a very unique accessory in the form of a mask that Saw would periodically put over his face and inhale from.
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 2 May 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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“Hold off (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hold%20off%20%28on%29. Accessed 31 May. 2025.

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